By Roger Vincent

Brakes' Seven

Leamington: Richard Morris, Benson Miyoba, Harj Dhesi, Liam McGovern, Will Payne (Tom Sidwell 58), Glen Webb, Darren Timms (Nick Mort 64), Brian Agar [Capt.] (Jonny Burgess 58), Josh Blake, Paul Eden, Steve Thompson

Brakes stormed into a 4-0 lead through Agar (2), Blake and Thompson conceding a goal on the dot of half-time to go in 4-1 up at the break. They added three more through Blake's second, Burgess and Eden in the second half to cap a stunning performance. As well as winning comprehensively Brakes also played good, passing football with the delicate interplay of the experienced Eden and Agar up front complementing the hard running of Thompson and Blake. Agar was returning after injury and Sidwell made his debut in the 58th minute. Webb and Dhesi were superb behind the front-line and Morris looks increasingly confident and competent in goal.

The rain clouds loomed over the New Windmill but the gloom was lightened by the return of Brian Agar after injury and lifted completely when he struck home after just 5 minutes with a well-placed shot from an Eden pass, 1-0. Already the interplay between Agar and Eden, together for the first time in the league, was paying dividends and complementing the driving runs up front of Blake, Miyoba and, particularly, Thompson.

With Dhesi sweeping up everything in front of goal, Webb looking more powerful with each game, the creative skills of Timms and the three rocks of Payne, McGovern and Morris this looked to be one of the best Brakes' sides I've seen. Moreover they passed the ball, a feature that seemed to have left their game in recent matches, and it was no surprise when they went further ahead in the 19th. After going close, when Thompson headed just over, good play between Miyoba and Eden saw Miyoba cross low and hard to force a goalkeeping error and Blake was on hand to tap in the fumbled ball, 2-0.

Miyoba again went close, but this was not to be September's FOLFC Player of the Month's day, whilst at the other end Morris made a good save after a rare defensive slip. Then, in the 31st Thompson made it 3-0 with a beauty when, after forcing 2 corners, the ball came back to him 25 yards out on the left. Resisting the temptation to blast it goalwards he looked up and placed it in the right, top corner well beyond the goalkeeper's reach. Within minutes the influential Eden put through Miyoba who just ran wide and Webb drove a thunderous shot from fully 35 yards against the bar, a shot that would have been the headline if it had gone in.

Just as it seemed that things couldn't get better Brakes went further ahead in the 42nd when, after good work by Thompson and Benson, the ball ran deep to Webb who pushed the ball up for Agar to leap, hang in the air for what seemed an impossible age, and head home a superb second goal, 4-0. Then, on the dot of half-time, Villa broke away to score off the post to reduce the arrears, 4-1.

Brakes lost their shape at the start of the second half but a double substitution in the 58th settled them again. Jonny Burgess came on for the, understandably, tiring Agar and Tom Sidwell came on for his debut in place of Will Payne. The diminutive Burgess then proceeded to play, what I can pnly describe as, a blinder. He was everywhere and, for a while, all the play seemed to involve him. His drive and determination had to produce a goal and, so it proved, when, after clever work with Eden, in the 62nd Eden placed a shot that looked, possibly, to be on target but Blake dived to head it over the line and make sure, 5-1

Mort replaced Timms in the 64th, almost immediately cracked a superb, long-range shot just over and, minutes later, drove just wide. Now Brakes were attacking at will and Burgess, Webb and Eden all jinxed through a panicking defence before, in the 74th, Burgess latched on to a through ball by Mort and crashed home a well-deserved goal, 6-1.

Eden put Blake free twice more for a diving header and shot, both just wide, before, deservedly, getting on the scorers' list when he drove home from close range in the 82nd to make it 7-1. Sidwell was performing confidently after a nervous start and Brakes continued to attack up to the final whistle.

At the end it occurred to me that almost the closest anyone got to Webb and Blake all afternoon were the young, autograph hunters now hanging off them as they left the pitch. If Josh had kept his shirt on a little longer they may have been easier to control. As it was they had to be organised into a disciplined queue to protect the (not so) innocent.